- Because you don’t feel like standing around for the streetcar, you decide to see if you can beat it on foot to the next stop… or even maybe the next; it is always a bit of a bet.
- It is always amazing when you come over the crest of a hill; perhaps it is one street that you walk down every day, that gives you this amazing streetscape view towards downtown with the CN tower clear as day in the background. North, South, East, or West, there is always that special spot. For me in fall 2009 it was heading South on St. George Street through the U of T campus on my way to work, and now I get the view on Dundas Street going East over the train bridge near College on my way home.
- Little Italy on College Street west has some amazing restaurants and one or two fantastic gelato places. Yum!
- China town on Spadina and Dundas is a great place to find deals IF you know where to look! It’s where I bought a sweet vintage bike last summer.
- I currently live in Little Portugal near Dundas West. I even have an old Portugese couple as neighbours who do not speak much English. Every few blocks out this way you will find an amazing Brazilian or Portugese bakery that sells delectable breads and pastries that beat Tim Hortons any day!
- Tim Hortons still deserves a mention on this list however. In Toronto you can also find one of these on every block no matter where you are in the city. The Canadian Maple donut and the medium hot chocolate will always be my old faithfuls! The ‘roll up the rim’ campaign has recently begun which has now almost become a highlight of the winter to spring season. Rrrrroooooooll up the rrrrrrrrriim to win!
- Biking in Toronto is a blast as long as you have the most important piece of equipment: a loud and annoying bell. It will save your neck several times from those Toronto taxis that like to pull over right in front of you. The thing that makes biking completely worthwhile is how much you save not paying for the TTC, the exercise you get biking an hour per day, and also the joy of leaving at the same time and arriving at your destination 15 minutes earlier!
- If you are an architecture nerd like me, you might enjoy the revival and reuse of older buildings that give Toronto streets quite a bit of character. Most of the main shopping and gastronomical areas of the city were once houses. Now the main levels serve as establishments of all kinds, with apartments above.
- Toronto offers any kind of cuisine imaginable and quite authentic too! I have had everything from Italian (arincini!), Chinese, Japanese (sushi!), and Greek, to French, Thai, Indian (roti!), and Ethiopian. I just discovered this awesome Polish place near me that serves the most amazing Pirogis (pirogi!). A few blocks down from me there is also the Canadian old faithful: Poutini’s House of Poutine! Then we must not forget the crazy creatives. I just recently went to a brunch place called ‘the Starving Artist’, where everything on their menu… even their club sandwiches, was made with waffles. Yum yum!
Things I love about Toronto
2 Comments to “Things I love about Toronto”
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You found the Starving Artist? Was it far from where we were? I like the diner we stumbled on!
Guess I need to get a bell for my bike! :P
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Yes I found it! I went there for lunch with my coworkers. It was not far at all from where we were lol! It was only one small block further bordering a residential area (and itself in what was once a house). The diner we found was good but this place is even better!
And yes, do get a bell! You will be amazed by how much you use it. Most of the time it is cautionary, but I have seen it work it’s magic. I think people opening their car doors or pulling out of parallel parking spaces are the worst.
Can’t wait until you are in Toronto! When are you going to give me some details? :P
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